Diversity: Is it all that?

People: you and me. We are completely different from one another in various ways, but at the end of the day, we are the same, hypothetically speaking. Although we are the same, made of the same flesh and bone, we have different body structures, skin and we are born in different societies; and no matter what happens or how much we want to be someone else, we can’t, but we can definitely learn from them.

Individuality is a unique trait which unites us together. We are all unique and we meet people who have different opinions and ideas. We adapt to this diversity and learn to accept. This is what makes us a team, endeavoring to reach prosperity. This kind of attitude can be seen in governments, nations, companies and even families. In times of trouble, we join our heads together, try to think of new innovative and mind-blowing ideas that solve problems in an instant.

We all belong to various regions of the world, have individual talents, different jobs and languages and have different skin tones and body structures; but most importantly, we each think differently. This is what makes us unparalleled – identical to the colors in a rainbow. Even though white light is one color, once it refracts and disperses, it forms a band of seven colors, also known as the spectrum. Each color standing alone is common but once they come together they turn into nature’s artistic masterpiece. It shows how contrasting colors, when combined, form a rainbow. And similarly with humans, even though we are all born from the same source we are born with different characteristics and talents; when we embrace our talents and individuality and use it for the best in groups or individually, we become the best at what we do.

At school or at work, we meet many people and talk to them, bond with them and call them our buddies. We all have our moments but stand together as one while including our features and flaws.

I have experienced the beauty of diversity. I had recently changed schools and was the new kid. It was weird for me since I met many people who weren’t of my nationality. But it was also an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. I met people of many nationalities namely: Americans, Italians, Koreans, Egyptians among others. Getting used to this environment was new for me, but as I came to know them, everything changed.

Initially, I stood out like a sore thumb. It was difficult making new friends since I knew no one and vice-versa. The first few days of school were difficult as the curriculum and people were different from what I was used to and I had no one to help me. But then it all changed when one of my classmates extended her friendship to me. It was awkward at first since we had nothing in common to talk about and all we used to do was help each other out in class but gradually we started to talk to each other and realized we had more in common than we thought. We learned from each other and had a level of understanding of each other. She then introduced me to her friends, and they to their companions; and I ended up meeting amazing people who are now all my friends. This change, even though was difficult in the beginning, was worth it.
I feel like this change was necessary for me as it helped me become a better person and has also taught me ways to communicate with people who are different to me, age wise and culturally. Diversity led me to curiosity, which enabled me to understand and respect various cultures and languages from the different parts of the world since I met people from all over the world.

Diversity is most important in schools and workplaces in Kuwait and other countries as it acts as the basic foundation for education for the future generation and helps the youth learn more about the different societies and prevent them from being judgmental. Cultural diversity in the workplace enables nations to introduce new innovations, and assist immigrants in exchanging ideas and resources in the labor force. This assists the global economy and human capital. Diversity also plays an active role in society as it prevents us from being ignorant of the different races and this prevents misconceptions about other communities and helps us become more open-minded and welcoming. This also teaches us to be respectful and understanding of the diverse society we live in and could lead to everlasting peace in the future between different nations as the barrier that was initially present would be erased.
As Gandhi would say: “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” It is time to include all diverse members of society as one whole.